The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-02-05
Mississippi River Improvements.
Speech oiHsn. T.c. G.toAinEs.

MISSISSIPPI river Wnlcn Is Delnt
attempted, as to what has beer
accomplished, and what may rea
sonably be expected to result trou
the further prosecution of the
work. With those not so inform
ed the violent declarations ofthost
opposing the work may If not ua
masked pass for argument, and
their statements, launched with
such prodigal profusion, for facts
1t has occurred to me that under
these circumstances, q plain, sim
pie statement, outlining briefly the
nature of the work and the results
obtained, might be of some bene
fit in this discussion. shall en-
deavor to make this statement fair
| " and accurately.
1t may be asserted as automatic
that it is impossible to improve
the Mississippi river except by
utilizing its own forces. To sue
cessfully do this requires know
ledge of its history, its laws and
its methods, only to be obtained
| by minute, patient and intelligent
observation. The commission
have caused to be made q com
plete typographical, hydrograph
ical, hydrometrical aud geological
survey of the river, not to satisfy
scientific curiosity, but to enable
them to investigate and work un
derstandingly.
If the river could be emptied
and it's bed exposed to Wow, We
would see an endless succession
of deep depressions and large
sand hills. When the channel il
filed these depressions constitute
tho pools, or deep water, and these
sand bills the formidable bars
which in many places seriously OBJ
struct navigation.
Fortunately, most of these BARI
are so deeply submerged thai
heavily laden boats pass over then
without difficulty, even during tht
stage of lowest water.
But others approach within 8 OF
6 feet Of the surface at this pc
riod. and prevent the navigation
of the river except by the smallest
craft, to the great cost and detri
ment of commerce.
Nor does this low stage of watel
pass away quickly. The report O
Hon. Il. .. Stannard, of October
80, 1878, to the Senate Commute,
on Transportation, estimates tina
for long period of years there
were on an average of fifty-twt
days when the least depth of watel
was 6 feet, and slxty.nine day.
when it was less than 10 feet.
The number of bars below Cairo
which obstruct navigation in thi
way is about forty.
They are usually located II
groups which cover from 20 to Al
miles, and the part of the rive
occupied by these groups is callet
a "reach.n
There are six OF these reaches
in the lower river, known as tn,
New Madrid, Plum Point, Mem
pbis, Helena, Choctaw, and LAKE
Providence reaches.
To increase the depth on thes,
bars which lie across the pathwa,
of the river, is the improvement
which Congress has undertaken
to accomplish through the agenc.
of the Mississippi River Commls
sion.
And this involves, of course
such treatment, regulation ant
control of the river as shall Civ,
permanence to the improvement
when perfected.
10 dredge the crest of thes,
bars to the necessary depth is i'm
possible, for the deposition of sill
would instantly replace that dred
ged away. The only means Is t.
enchain and direct the mighty for
ces of the river itself. 1t mus
be borne in mind that these shal
low places do not result from al
insufficiency of water in the river
Ii properly distributed along thu
channel there is always epougl
water to afford the most abundan
depth. In these bad places th,
river is, like the gentleman from
Iowa, case of misdirected energ,
and ability.
The first thing to do, therefore
in treating such a reach, is to ga
Their up and give suitable direction
to these dissipated forces of tn,
river, so as to compel it there Il
build and MAINTAIN for itself a suit
able and proper channel, as thro
three.fourths of its length 1t ha
done of its own vOlition.
1t is found that wherever th
river is narrow it is deep, all,
wherever it is wide it is shallow
This is because velocity, momen
tum, and resultant increased dept
always accompany concentration
Another evil, resulting from tn,
diffusion of the rivers volum
over a large area is the building
up OF islands, which divide th
channel
In treating such a place one 0
these channels must be closed
In order to close these chutes. q
they are called, and to force tn
water into a narrow channel, ne,
banks must be constructed by al
tiicial means.
These cannot be composed O
mattresses of brush laden wit
. stone, as suggested by the gentle
man from Iowa, or other solid ma
terlal for, resting on bed of a
luvion, and constituting an imper
etraole bar TO the current, it woul
scour out the bed beneath an
speedily destroy them.
The simple but effective pla
has been adopted of compellin
the river itself to build up tn